Gaoyiling Scenic Area is located in Gaoyiling Village, Feitianshan Town, Suxian District, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The total planned area of the scenic area is 11 square kilometers, and it is a pristine Danxia scenic area with a forest coverage rate of 95%. With the theme of "Youthful Red Rock," the scenic area aims to create the overall image of "Danxia Feitianshan, Dynamic Gaoyiling." The scenic area has everything—mountains, water, caves, stockades, cliffs, and flat-topped peaks—and also features elements such as a Danxia suspension bridge, a glass walkway, rural homestays, and tent camping.
Historical Culture
The origin of Gaoyiling comes from a local legend. Tieguai Li, one of the Eight Immortals, believed that the emperor and his ministers should be equal to ordinary people, so he casually threw out his tall chair. After it shattered, it turned into what is now Gaoyiling, and the place name derives from this. This area was once a disposal site for waste slag from a thermal power plant. In the early 21st century, coal ash deposits and wastewater blockage led to vegetation damage, soil erosion, and ecological destruction. Later, the Suxian District government, through a series of measures such as building a circular economy industrial park, implementing landform restoration, and covering the area with soil, significantly improved the ecology of Gaoyiling and developed it into a tourist attraction. The once poor and backward Gaoyiling Village has also transformed into a "internet-famous" village for tourism in Chenzhou.
Main Attractions
Dragon's Backbone
The soul of Gaoyiling, a natural rock ridge about 300 meters long, with cliffs nearly 100 meters high on both sides, shaped like a dragon's backbone. After rain, the red cliffs glow with a rusty red luster, creating a strong visual impact with the emerald green pools below.
Monitor Lizard Lake
The lake water appears dreamy blue-green due to mineral deposits and is shaped like a crouching monitor lizard. The Danxia landforms and green trees on the lake shore are reflected in the water. On sunny days, the blue sky and white clouds form a strong color contrast with the red rocks and green water, and it is praised as a model of "green water and red cliffs."
Megalith Array
Geometric megaliths cut from native red rock are arranged in a staggered pattern, a collision of modern art and nature, especially suitable for shooting minimalist-style photos.
Hanging Walkway
The walkway is at an altitude of 240 meters and is 400 meters long, floating in the clouds and clinging to the cliff face, with a bottomless abyss below. Walking on it leads to the One-Line Sky and Dragon's Backbone, and it can give people a sudden sense of "a broad view of Chu skies."
Beautiful Flat-Top
After reaching the summit, visitors can enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the Danxia peaks and scattered ponds. At sunrise and sunset, the glow dyes the red rock walls, making it a "God's-eye view" favored by photographers.
Tour Routes：
Standard route (2-3 hours): Enter from the South Gate, view the Megalith Array from afar through Lianyi Bridge, climb the Dengyun Heavenly Ladder, check in at the Z-shaped walkway, pass through the Hanging Walkway, pass a small shop to reach the core scenic area, check in at attractions such as the Cliff Swing and Monitor Lizard Lake, then choose to continue the large loop or turn back on the small loop, and finally return to the South Gate. In-depth experience route (all day): Add activities such as via ferrata rock climbing, high-altitude ziplining, and the cliff swing, and finally take a helicopter low-altitude tour (advance reservation required).
Travel Tips：
Choose comfortable, slip-resistant shoes, because the scenic area mostly has rocky paths and some sections are steep.
Take sun protection and mosquito repellent measures. The scenic area has little vegetation, long periods of direct sunlight, and many mosquitoes and insects.
Choose a tour route according to your own physical condition. The scenic area offers routes of different difficulty levels.
When visiting in summer, try to avoid the midday high-temperature period. You can choose early morning or evening, which not only avoids heatstroke but also allows you to enjoy beautiful light and shadow effects.
Precautions：
Flammable and explosive items are prohibited in the scenic area. Please do not litter fruit peels, paper scraps, or cigarette butts, and do not graffiti, step on flowers and plants, or approach the water.
There are many stairs going up and down the mountain. Please pay attention to your footing. Climbing, swimming, crossing buildings, trees, guardrails, and cliffs are prohibited.
Visitors over 60 years old, pregnant women, and patients with hypoglycemia, cardiovascular diseases, or respiratory system diseases are advised to enter the park cautiously.
Strictly abide by the order of the scenic area, take care of children and elderly people accompanying you, and pay attention to your belongings.
The stop time for ticket checking in the scenic area is 17:20. Please leave the park as soon as possible after sunset to ensure your own safety.
Transportation：
Bus: Take Route 501 or Route 817 and get off at Gaoyiling Bus Station.
Train: After arriving at Chenzhou Railway Station, take Route 59, 36, 27, or 21 at the railway station bus stop to Gaosibei Station, then transfer to Route 501 to Gaoyiling Bus Station.
High-speed rail: After arriving at Chenzhou West Station, take Route 201 at Wanhua Bus Station to Xihe Wetland Park South Station, then transfer to Route 501 to Gaoyiling Bus Station.
Self-driving: Navigate to "Gaoyiling Scenic Area." From downtown Chenzhou, take Wuling Avenue, Qingnian Avenue, Chenzi Road, Xuzi Avenue, and Chenyong Avenue to reach the scenic area. The total distance is 31 kilometers and the estimated time is 44 minutes.
Opening Hours：
April 30 - October 7: open 07:00 - 19:00, last entry at 17:20; October 8 - April 29 of the following year: open 08:00 - 18:00. Subject to the actual opening hours of the scenic area.
Tickets：
Ticket price is 98 yuan per person.